Portable campfire

ABSTRACT

A campfire ( 70 ) comprising a receptacle ( 72 ) for receiving combustible material having an open upper end ( 74 ). There are a plurality of openings ( 82 ) in the receptacle ( 72 ) at different distances from the upper end ( 74 ). The campfire comprises a support member ( 84 ) having an end portion ( 88 ) on which a cooking vessel ( 86 ) can be supported. The end portion ( 88 ) of the support member ( 84 ) can be received in any one of the openings ( 82 ) such that the end portion ( 88 ) extends across the interior of the receptacle ( 72 ).

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a portable campfire. The invention is designed particularly but not exclusively for use as an outdoor cooking device in a camping situation.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

The use of campfires is common among certain groups of people such as those who go camping or travel in caravans. Generally however, campfire use is limited to the facilities which are provided at the site. In many cases, no such facilities are available. If available, these campfires often comprise an area near ground level bound by rocks or a brick or concrete structure.

Such campfires are often not particularly efficient at providing heat for cooking purposes as the vessel used for cooking is suspended above the open fire. Also, the means to effectively cook using a number of implements of different sizes, such as saucepans, frypans and kettles is often generally limited due to the design of such open fires. These open fires also leave many coals after burning due to the inefficient combustion process of an open fire.

Some campers take portable cooking equipment with them on camping trips. Presently available portable cooking devices suitable for taking on camping trips usually comprise a gas bottle with a cooking ring or plate. Such devices often do not have enough gas to last for sufficiently long periods of time necessary for a camping trip. This means that spare gas bottles may have to be taken on longer trips, these extra bottles being bulky and taking up space which is already limited in a camping situation.

The present invention relates to a campfire for providing efficient cooking, flexibility in use and ease of transport, assembly and disassembly.

References to prior art in this specification are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not to be taken as an admission that such prior art is part of the common general knowledge in Australia or elsewhere.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a campfire comprising:

a receptacle for receiving combustible material having an open upper end; a plurality of openings in the receptacle at different distances from the upper end; and a support member having an end portion on which a cooking vessel can be supported; wherein the end portion of the support member can be received in any one of the openings such that the end portion extends across the interior of the receptacle.

The receptacle is preferably cylindrical and includes an aperture adjacent the lower end thereof to receive the combustible material.

Preferably, the openings are provided in pairs such that at each distance from the open upper end a first pair of openings is provided spaced apart around the periphery of the receptacle on one side of the receptacle and a second pair of openings is provided spaced apart around the periphery of the receptacle on an opposite side of the receptacle.

The end portion of the support member preferably comprises a pair of elongate members such that the elongate members are received in the pair of openings on one side of the receptacle and extend across the interior of the receptacle and pass outwardly through the pair of openings on the opposite side of the receptacle.

In a preferred embodiment, the support member includes an intermediate curved member joining between the elongate members. Arcuate handle members are preferably provided extending from the intermediate curved member, the handle members being pivotable between a first position in which the handle members are adjacent each other and a second position in which the handle members are arranged adjacent an outer surface of the receptacle. Instead of arcuate handle members, the support member may comprise a support handle provided on the intermediate curved member. The intermediate curved member may be provided with a slot member into which the support handle may be temporarily located. In this way, the handle may be easily removed for transport purposes.

The receptacle is preferably provided with one or more holes to provide air flow for efficient combustion. Preferably the one or more holes is an array of holes extending in vertical lines from the bottom to the top of the receptacle. The holes may be of equally sized diameter, or they may increase in diameter from top to bottom. Alternatively, the holes may decrease in size from top to bottom.

The cooking vessels preferably comprise a frypan, a saucepan and a kettle and the openings are provided at first, second and third distances from the open upper end. In one embodiment, the saucepan has a smaller diameter than that of the frypan and is deeper than the frypan and the kettle has a smaller diameter than that of the saucepan and is deeper than the saucepan.

The frypan is preferably sized to form a lid to cover the open upper end of the receptacle for storage and/or transport.

The frypan and saucepan are preferably provided with arcuate handle members pivotable between a first position in which the handle members are adjacent each other and a second position in which the handle members are arranged adjacent an outer surface of the receptacle. Instead of arcuate handle members, the frypan and saucepan may be provided with a removable handle for ease of transport.

A grill plate is preferably provided to rest over the open upper end of the receptacle.

The campfire may further comprise a bag for positioning inside the receptacle during storage of the campfire, the bag containing the kettle and saucepan, as well as the kettle handle, the saucepan handle, and the support handle. The bag is preferably provided with three tabs arranged around the upper periphery of the inner surface of the bag into which may be inserted the three respective handles.

Throughout the specification, unless the context requires otherwise, the word “comprise” or variations such as “comprises” or “comprising”, will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or group of integers but not the exclusion of any other integer or group of integers. Likewise the word “preferably” or variations such as “preferred”, will be understood to imply that a stated integer or group of integers is desirable but not essential to the working of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The nature of the invention will be better understood from the following detailed description of several specific embodiments of the campfire, given by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a campfire according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the campfire of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view of the campfire of FIG. 1 and associated cooking vessels;

FIG. 4 a is a perspective view with a portion of the receptacle cut away showing the support member in a first position for supporting a frypan;

FIG. 4 b is a perspective view with a portion of the receptacle cut away showing the support member in a second position for supporting a saucepan;

FIG. 4 c is a perspective view with a portion of the receptacle cut away showing the support member in a third position for supporting a kettle;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view with a portion of the receptacle cut away showing the support member in a third position for supporting a second style of kettle;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a campfire according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is an exploded view of the campfire of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a second exploded view of the campfire of FIG. 6 with some of the components partly assembled;

FIG. 9 is a elevation of the campfire of FIG. 6;

FIG. 10 is a section view down line A-A of FIG. 9;

FIGS. 11 a and 11 b are perspective views of the campfire of FIG. 6 showing positioning of the grill plate and handle;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the campfire of FIG. 6 showing the support member positioned to support a frypan;

FIG. 13 a is a perspective view of a support member of the campfire of FIG. 6 with the handle positioned on the support member; and

FIG. 13 b is a perspective view of a support member of the campfire of FIG. 6 with the handle separated from the support member.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A first preferred embodiment of a campfire 10 in accordance with the invention, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 5, comprises a receptacle 12 for receiving combustible material, such as fire wood. The receptacle 12 has an open upper end 14 and in the embodiment shown is cylindrical in shape having a closed lower end 16.

The receptacle 12 includes an aperture 18 adjacent the lower end thereof. The aperture 18 is for receiving the combustible material. The receptacle 12 includes a grate 20 on a lower inside surface such that the combustible material rests on the grate 20. The grate 20 allows air flow under the combustible material to aid combustion.

The receptacle 12 includes a plurality of openings 22 for receiving a support member 24 on which cooking vessels 26 of different types can be supported. The openings 22 are located at different heights from the open upper end 14 of the receptacle to allow the support member 24 to be positioned at different heights for different cooking vessels 26.

In the embodiment shown, the openings 22 comprise pairs of openings 22. At each distance from the open upper end 14 is provided a first pair of openings 22 a spaced apart around the periphery of the receptacle 12 on one side of the receptacle 12 and a second pair of openings 22 b spaced apart around the periphery of the receptacle 12 on an opposite side of the receptacle 12 (see FIG. 4 b). Each opening 22 comprises a vertical slot. The support member 24 includes an end portion 28 which is received in the openings 22. The end portion 28 comprises a pair of elongate members 30 such that the elongate members 30 are received in the pair of openings 22 on one side of the receptacle 12 and extend across the interior of the receptacle 12 and pass outwardly through the pair of openings 22 on the opposite side of the receptacle 12.

The elongate members 30 are joined at a first end thereof by an arcuate interconnecting member 32. The arcuate interconnecting member 32 is provided with a pair of handle members 34. Each of the handle members 34 is arcuate in shape with the curve being generally that of the outer surface of the receptacle 12. The handle members 34 are also pivotally connected to respective ends of the arcuate interconnecting member 32 such that the handle members 34 are pivotable between a first, in use, position (as shown in FIG. 4) and a second stored position (as shown in FIG. 1). In the first position, the handle members 34 are adjacent each other such that both handle members 34 may be grasped to remove or insert the support member 24. In the second position, the handle members 34 are pivoted to such that the handle members 34 rest generally adjacent and parallel to the outer surface of the receptacle 12.

The campfire 12 is provided with a plurality of cooking vessels 26. In the embodiment shown, the cooking vessels 26 comprise a frypan 36, a saucepan 38 and a kettle 40. Each of the frypan 36, saucepan 38 and the kettle 40 are cylindrical in shape. The saucepan 38 has a smaller diameter than that of the frypan 36 and is deeper than the frypan 36. The kettle 40 has a smaller diameter than that of the saucepan 38 and is deeper than the saucepan 38. A second variation of a kettle 41 (which resembles the kettle 40 in many ways) is shown in FIG. 5.

The openings 22 of the campfire 10 are provided at three distances from the upper end 14. The lowermost openings 22 are provided such that, when the support member 24 is received in the lowermost openings 22, the kettle 40 rests on the support member 24 with a majority of the kettle body inside the receptacle 12. With the support member 24 in the uppermost openings 22, the frypan 36 can rest on the support member 24 with the base of the frypan just below the open upper end 14 and extending across open upper end 14. The intermediate openings 22 are provided for using the saucepan 38.

Each of the cooking vessels 26 includes also handles. The frypan 36 and the saucepan 38 each include a pair of arcuate handle member 42 of the same shape as those of the support member 24. The handle members 42 of the frypan 36 and saucepan 38 can therefore be pivoted from an in use position to a stored position in which the handle members 42 are adjacent the outer curved surface of the cooking vessel 26. The kettle 40 includes a kettle handle 44 which extends upwardly from a side surface of the kettle 40 with a horizontal upper end for lifting the kettle 40.

The lower end of the receptacle 12 is provided with a plurality of feet 48. Also provided is a circular plate 50 onto which the feet 48 are placed in use. The plate 50 collects ash falling from the receptacle 12. The campfire 10 also includes a grill plate 46. The grill plate 46 is circular and arranged to sit on top of the open upper end 14 to be used as a standard barbeque plate for cooking. The grill plate 46 includes upper and lower circular lips 52 and 54. The lower lip 52 extends over the open upper end 14 of the receptacle 12 in use.

The receptacle 12 is also provided with a plurality of holes 56. The holes 56 in the embodiment shown comprise vertical rows of holes 56 increasing in size from the top of the receptacle 12 to the bottom. The holes 56 provide air flow for efficient combustion. The holes 56 also allow heat and light to exit so that the campfire 10 can act also as a source of heat and light for people sitting around the campfire 10.

The components of the campfire 10 are sized such that all of the components can be stored within the receptacle 12 for transport or storage. As described previously, the diameter of the saucepan 38 is greater than the kettle 40. The kettle 40 is therefore stored inside the saucepan 38 which is stored in the receptacle 12 as shown in FIG. 2. The grill plate 46 is placed on the open upper end 14 of the receptacle 12 and the circular plate 50 is sized to be received in and on top of the grill plate 46. The frypan 36 is sized to form a lid when turned upside down such that the frypan 36 is received inside the upper lip 54 of the grill plate 46. The support member 24 in the stored position is placed in the intermediate set of openings 24 such that it extends above the saucepan 38 and kettle 40.

The campfire 10 is also provided with a main handle 58. The main handle 58 engages in a pair of the holes 56 on opposite sides of the receptacle 14 and extends over the top of the receptacle 12 to lift the campfire 10. The outer edges of the frypan 36 are provided with pairs of protrusions 60 on opposite sides thereof such that the main handle 58 can clip in between the protrusions (as shown in FIG. 1) to hold the main handle 58 in place.

A second preferred embodiment of a campfire 70 in accordance with the invention, as illustrated in FIGS. 6 to 13, is similar in many respects to the first embodiment and will not be described in detail. The campfire 70 comprises a receptacle 72 for receiving combustible material, the receptacle being cylindrical with an open upper end 74 and a closed lower end 76.

The receptacle 72 includes an aperture 78 adjacent the lower end thereof for receiving the combustible material, as well as a grate 20 on which the combustible material rests. The receptacle 72 includes a plurality of openings 82 for receiving a support member 84 on which cooking vessels 86 of different types can be supported. The openings 82 are located at different heights from the open upper end 74 of the receptacle to allow the support member 84 to be positioned at different heights for different cooking vessels 86.

In the second embodiment shown, the openings 82 comprise three pairs of openings 82. At each distance from the open upper end 74 is provided a first pair of openings 82 a spaced apart around the periphery of the receptacle 72 on one side of the receptacle 72 and a second pair of openings 82 b spaced apart around the periphery of the receptacle on an opposite side of the receptacle 72. Each opening 82 comprises a vertical slot. The support member 84 includes an end portion 88 which is received in the openings 82. The end portion 88 comprises a pair of elongate members 90 such that the elongate members 90 are received in the pair of openings 82 a on one side of the receptacle 72 and extend across the interior of the receptacle 72 and pass outwardly through the pair of openings 82 b on the opposite side of the receptacle 72 (see FIG. 12).

The elongate members 90 are joined at a first end thereof by an arcuate interconnecting member 92. The arcuate interconnecting member 92 is provided with a support handle 94. The support handle 94 is inserted in a slot member 95 which is welded to the interconnecting member 92. The support handle 94 can therefore be easily removed from the slot member 95 as required for storage and transport. It should also be noted that having a support handle allows the support member 84 to easily be removed and realigned in another one of the other pairs of openings 82 so as to adjust the height of the support member, for example when using different types of cooking vessels 86. Furthermore having a support handle ensures that the hand of a user is sufficiently spaced away from the heat of the receptacle so as to avoid being burnt.

The campfire 72 is provided with a plurality of cooking vessels 86. In the embodiment shown, the cooking vessels 86 comprise a frypan 96, a saucepan 98 and a kettle 100 as previously described.

The openings 82 of the campfire 70 are provided at three distances from the upper end 74. The lowermost openings 82 are provided such that, when the support member 84 is received in the lowermost openings 82, the kettle 100 rests on the support member 84 with a majority of the kettle body inside the receptacle 72. With the support member 74 in the uppermost openings 82, the frypan 96 can rest on the support member 84 with the base of the frypan just below the open upper end 74 and extending across open upper end 74. The intermediate openings 82 are provided for using the saucepan 98.

Each of the cooking vessels 86 also includes handles. The frypan 96 and the saucepan 98 have removable handles for ease of storage as shown for example in FIGS. 7 and 12. The frypan and saucepan handles are of similar design to the handle 94 of the support member 84.

The lower end of the receptacle 72 is provided with a plurality of feet 104. Also provided is a circular plate 106 onto which the feet 104 are placed in use. The campfire 70 also includes a grill plate 102.

The receptacle 72 is also provided with a plurality of holes 108. The holes 108 in the second embodiment shown comprise vertical rows of holes 108 decreasing in size from the top of the receptacle 12 to the bottom. In this embodiment there are 11 holes in each vertical row, the holes 108 a at the top of the receptacle are of approximate diameter 20 mm decreasing in size to the lowest holes 108 b which are of approximate diameter 9 mm. The smaller diameter holes at the bottom of the receptacle allow for a small flow of oxygen to pass into the receptacle which is ideal for starting the fire. As the flames are established, a large flow of oxygen passes into the top of the receptacle (holes at the top of the receptacle having wider diameter and allowing greater air flow into the receptacle). Advantageously the receptacle includes more holes at the top of the receptacle to allow greater air flow and to keep the flames burning at a higher temperature. Additional holes at the top of the receptacle would also allow smoke to pass out of the receptacle more easily.

The components of the campfire 70 are sized such that all of the components can be stored within the receptacle 72 for transport or storage. The diameter of the saucepan 98 is greater than that of the kettle 100. The kettle 100 is therefore stored inside the saucepan 98 which is stored in the receptacle 72 as shown in FIG. 7. The grill plate 102 is placed on the open upper end 74 of the receptacle 72. The frypan 96 is sized to form a lid when turned upside down such that the frypan 96 is received inside the upper lip of the grill plate 102. The support member 84 in the stored position is placed in the intermediate set of openings 82 such that it extends above the saucepan 98 and kettle 100.

The second embodiment also includes a bag 110 for holding the saucepan 98 and kettle 100, as well as the handles of these two vessels, and the support handle 94. The bag 110 includes three tabs 112 arranged around the upper periphery of the inner surface of the bag 110 into which may be inserted the three respective handles, thereby preventing loose components from rattling in the packed campfire. The bag 110 with its various components may be quickly and easily dropped into the receptacle 72 for storage purposes, or alternatively when the campfire is required for use the bag 110 may be easily removed. The bag 110 also includes a pair of handles 111 on each side of the bag for ease of lifting the bag in and out of the receptacle.

There is free space surrounding some of the items during storage in the receptacle 72 such that other smaller items such as cutlery may also be stored in the receptacle. For example, as can be seen in FIG. 10, there is free space inside the frypan 96 or kettle 100 so that small items of cutlery or crockery may be stored inside these vessels, or in empty gaps between the different vessels stored in the receptacle.

The campfire 70 is also provided with a main handle 114. The main handle 114 engages in a pair of the holes 116 on opposite sides of the receptacle 72. The outer edges of the frypan 96 are provided with pairs of protrusions 118 on opposite sides thereof such that the main handle 114 can clip in between the protrusions.

The campfire can be made of any suitable size, but the typical dimensions of the campfire of the second embodiment are 40-50 cm in height, 27 cm in width, and about 10 kg in weight. The design is therefore small and of a reasonable weight that can be easily transported, or stored when not in use.

The campfire may readily be packed in a bag and transported or stored as required.

Now that preferred embodiments of the campfire of the invention have been described in detail, it will be apparent that the described embodiments provide a number of advantages, including the following:

-   -   (i) Easy packing into a single unit for storage and transport,         so that the campfire is always “ready to go”.     -   (ii) Flexibility in use, providing a number of cooking vessels         which can be positioned at the most appropriate position in the         campfire for efficient heating.     -   (iii) A useful source of both heat and light for people near the         campfire.     -   (iv) Design of the receptacle allows combustible material to         burn at high temperature leaving chiefly ash after burning is         complete, making for easier cleaning of the campfire, and         minimising environmental pollution.     -   (v) Concentrated heat causing rapid cooking, due to the design         of the receptacle having a contained zone for burning of         combustible material, and good air flow due to the array of         holes in the receptacle.     -   (vi) Allows a variety of cooking techniques eg cooking food,         boiling water, grilling, and frying.     -   (vii) The burning combustible material is retained in the         receptacle and the use of an open fire is avoided, thereby         minimising the risk of a bushfire resulting from use of the         campfire.     -   (viii) Due to the compact nature of the campfire, it is         versatile and has application for a number of different uses,         for example it can readily be transported on boats to be used         for offshore barbecues, it can be taken to disaster areas, or it         can be used by persons in third world or remote areas where         there is no electricity. It can also easily be used for backyard         entertainment.

It will be readily apparent to persons skilled in the relevant arts that various modifications and improvements may be made to the foregoing embodiments, in addition to those already described, without departing from the basic inventive concepts of the present invention. Therefore, it will be appreciated that the scope of the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described. 

1. A campfire comprising: a receptacle for receiving combustible material having an open upper end; a plurality of openings in the receptacle at different distances from the upper end; and a support member having an end portion on which a cooking vessel can be supported; wherein the end portion of the support member can be received in anyone of the openings such that the end portion extends across the interior of the receptacle.
 2. A campfire as defined in claim 1, wherein the receptacle is cylindrical.
 3. A campfire as defined in claim 1, wherein the receptacle includes an aperture adjacent the lower end thereof to receive the combustible material.
 4. A campfire as defined in claim 1, wherein the openings are provided in pairs such that at each distance from the open upper end a first pair of openings is provided spaced apart around the periphery of the receptacle on one side of the receptacle and a second pair of openings is provided spaced apart around the periphery of the receptacle on an opposite side of the receptacle.
 5. A campfire as defined in claim 1, wherein the end portion of the support member comprises a pair of elongate members such that the elongate members are received in the pair of openings on one side of the receptacle and extend across the interior of the receptacle and pass outwardly through the pair of openings on the opposite side of the receptacle.
 6. A campfire as defined in claim 5, wherein the support member includes an intermediate curved member joining between the elongate members.
 7. A campfire as defined in claim 6, wherein arcuate handle members are provided extending from the intermediate curved member, the handle members being pivotable between a first position in which the handle members are adjacent each other and a second position in which the handle members are arranged adjacent an outer surface of the receptacle.
 8. A campfire as defined in claim 6, wherein the support member comprises a support handle provided on the intermediate curved member.
 9. A campfire as defined in claim 8, wherein the intermediate curved member is provided with a slot member into which the support handle is temporarily located.
 10. A campfire as defined in claim 1, wherein the receptacle is provided with one or more holes to provide air flow for efficient combustion.
 11. A campfire as defined in claim 10, wherein the one or more holes is an array of holes extending in vertical lines from the top to the bottom of the receptacle.
 12. A campfire as defined in claim 11, wherein the holes are of equally sized diameter.
 13. A campfire as defined in claim 11, wherein the holes increase in diameter from the top to the bottom of the receptacle.
 14. A campfire as defined in claim 11, wherein the holes decrease in size from the top to the bottom of the receptacle.
 15. A campfire as defined in claim 1, wherein the cooking vessels comprise a frypan, a saucepan and a kettle.
 16. A campfire as defined in claim 15, wherein the openings are provided at first, second and third distances from the open upper end to allow for positioning of the frypan, a saucepan and a kettle at different heights on the support member.
 17. A campfire as defined in claim 15, wherein the saucepan has a smaller diameter than that of the frypan and is deeper than the frypan and the kettle has a smaller diameter than that of the saucepan and is deeper than the saucepan.
 18. A campfire as defined in claim 15, wherein the frypan is sized to form a lid to cover the open upper end of the receptacle for storage and/or transport.
 19. A campfire as defined in claim 15, wherein the frypan and saucepan are provided with arcuate handle members pivotable between a first position in which the handle members are adjacent each other and a second position in which the handle members are arranged adjacent an outer surface of the receptacle.
 20. A campfire as defined in claim 15, wherein the frypan and saucepan are provided with removable handles respectively.
 21. A campfire as defined in claim 1, wherein a grill plate is preferably provided to rest over the open upper end of the receptacle. 22-24. (canceled) 